Irreplaceable
by Timesparrow
Summary: Takes place immediately after Donna is fired and runs into Harvey at the elevator. They decide to have a talk before she leaves. You can either take this as a fluff, for those that ship them, or as friendship. T only for the brief language.


_**"We've been married for the last seven years."**_

- _Donna, Season 1 Pilot_

* * *

Together.

They had been together ever since Harvey had set his eyes on the fiery auburn-haired assistant at the District Attorney's office. He tried to win her over with his charm, but was quickly shoved back into his place. And so, finding pleasure in one who could be both loyal and who could just as easily go tooth-to-tooth with him, they had stuck together ever since.

Harvey's body went rigid when he saw the look on Donna's face. She was barely keeping it together. Her nose was red and puffy, eyes dangerously filled to the brim with tears just waiting to release in the silence. The business part of him that he could never seem to push aside wanted to say, 'she deserved it.' The miniscule piece of heart left in him desperately wanted to tell her it was going to be alright. Instead he found himself doing neither of those things, simply standing uselessly in her way.

He absentmindedly reached for the down arrow for the elevator.

Donna tried to control herself, the obvious fears, and the humiliation. She had always done what was best for Harvey, what was right. She had always been his left wing man, now what was she? Nothing but trash to Pearson & Hardman. All she had wanted to do was protect him, surely he knew...

The moment it took for the elevator to arrive felt much like what she imagined Hell to be. She could not find the words to say, and knew he didn't even want to hear them. Nor could she find the strength to look away from his gaze.

Harvey could have walked away at any moment. He was no longer her boss, and the recent outcome of events had clearly put a strain on their personal relationship. It was almost too much to handle. But then again, Harvey Specter was not the typical run of the mill. He was a man who did his work, and a damn fine job of it.

They had both felt the stares of Mike and Rachael as they watched the scene unfold. Harvey thought about saying something as Donna rushed by him to catch the elevator, but nothing immediate came to mind, quite unusual for someone use to thinking on their feet. Just before the doors closed for good he found himself stopping them with an outstretched hand and silently stepped into the elevator.

His mind must not have been thinking too hard about the situation, his gut however was doing a keen job of acting up. As soon as the doors shut Donna could no longer maintain her charade.

"H-Harvey, please, I..." Donna began to cry unwittingly, desperately trying to hold on to both her sanity and the box of items from her desk. She wasn't ready to apologize, to face him, not yet. Everything was too fresh and painful. Internally, her mind let off a strand of cusses, telling herself what a fool she was for both what she had done and her current display of water works. Harvey wasn't the sort of man who dealt well with these situations, that she had learned from his many complaints after coming back to work the next morning with a story about how his date started crying over how he didn't actually want a relationship.

But Harvey did have his moments. Without much thought he had halted the elevator. Perhaps it was not the best place to carry out their talk, but it was at least private. "I know this isn't easy on you, Donna." He started off saying, in the calm, smooth lawyer tone that he mastered years ago for touchy clients, "I understand."

Donna was not having it. "No! I may have done wrong by you, but I don't deserve one of your bull-shit pep talks you give to your weaker target clients." Break-down or not, she always had her wits about her. Obviously the words had stung, she watched as he raised a hand to his forehead, brushing a few fingers across it. The habit usually appeared when his bluff had been called.

"You know I didn't want this for you, but something had to be done," Harvey tried his luck by gently prying the box from her shaking hands; "You'll get though this." He mumbled, setting the item on the floor.  
For a moment her eyes flashed with rage. She would get through it? That was the best the city's top-notch lawyer could come up with? Sometimes she wondered just what exactly went on in that oh so genius mind of his. The rage however did not last long for it wasn't the priority emotion that was trying to relief itself.

"My place is here at the firm, with..." The words caught like a lump in her throat. Somehow she managed to continue, "With you." At first Harvey thought his ears might have taken to deceiving him. Instead of the loud, overwhelming-ness that essentially was her; she had spoken with the intensity of a cornered mouse.

Harvey realized then how cruel he was being by trying to treat her like some distant acquaintance. This was Donna, for God sakes, the woman he had known years before he reached his 'big time', and still stood by his side. She deserved more, much, much more.

The only thing he could muster was an unsure, "I know." Before she had the time to no doubt retaliate with another outburst he wrapped his arms around her petite frame, praying she would not pull away. Donna did not hesitate. Secure in his arms she released the emotion that had been swelling up in her chest since Jessica had broke the news. Harvey fell into utter silence as the hard sobs beat relentlessly into his shoulder. The fact that her hands were desperately clutching his sides was enough to tell him he needn't let go. He didn't think he would anyway.

In an attempt to calm her down he slowly ran his hand in a pattern along her back. Up, down, and in a little circle just below her neck. A vague memory told him it had worked alarming well in the past. The small maneuver kept its charm over the years as tears began to stop streamlining into his suit. He was grateful for both. The hardest part had past. He thought it would be painfully awkward to hold her again in such an intimate way but it instead just felt right. Apparently Donna's mind was on the same page, even as the tears finished her head remained wedged against his neck and shoulder. How dangerous this was suddenly becoming.

"I think Mike might gather his suspicions if I'm gone too long. You know how he gets when there's no one to order him around." Harvey spoke with the utmost of care in his voice, coming off more as his usual charming self. Donna ran her hand down his no doubt expensive tie in response, but settled for lifting away her head from its comfortable spot. "He's just like you, Harvey." With that she pulled away completely, taking in a deep breath and making herself somewhat presentable to walk out of the elevator. He noticed the thin smile that came with the words. At least there was some hope returning.

The firm was going to suffer a difficult lost, Harvey most of all. "I'm going to fix this, Donna." He was finally beginning to know what to say. "You had better," She laughed. For all that was between them, they both enjoyed banter the most. It was something he was going to miss deeply.

"Goodbye Donna."

"Take care, Harvey."


End file.
